User blog:Pinkguy the b0ss/My Favorite Sonic Games
What's up my Shreks, it's DiamondMinerStudios here, and with the 20th anniversary of Sonic 3 & Knuckles coming up in about two weeks, how Sonic has been on my mind for a while now, and how I get a kick out of listing games in the order of how much I like them, I thought "why not do this." So there's an inside look into my thought process for you all. Anyways, I want to hop in immediately. All I'll say is that I happen to like the Sonic series quite a bit, or at least the games I've played (which isn't many). I started with it back in September 2018 with the first Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis, and I've loved the series ever since. With that, I'll start the list immediately. Just like my Mario list, I'll put honorable mentions, dishonorable mentions, and then the actual list. Let's begin. (Note: As I haven't played every game in the series and how I'm an indecisive little shit, this list is subject to change. Get it? Got it? Good.) Honorable Mentions *Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Standalone) - This is the first part of Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and was released seperately from the second half due to time constraints. Overall, this is a good game, but it feels incomplete (I mean, it literally is just that). In addition, it features my least-favorite tracks on the otherwise godly Sonic 3&K OST, including the decent title theme and the obnoxious miniboss theme. This obviously doesn't make the game bad, because the level design and everything else are still quite great. *Sonic & Knuckles (Standalone) - The second part of Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This game allowed you to combine the standalone Sonic 3 with it, which lets you play the whole game uninterrupted. Essentially this was the first "two-disc" game on a major console (even though it's cartridges, but... you get the point). This game, like Sonic 3 standalone, feels incomplete. Still, the level design is solid, but this half has limited continues, no save feature, and no Tails, so I almost never play this game seperate from Sonic 3. Dishonorable Mentions *Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (GBA) - Holy shit, it's been so long since I've played this one, and for good reason. As of now, this is easily the worst Sonic game I've played. I don't know if it's the worst game I've ever played overall, but I would consider it one of my most hated ones ever. For one, the controls and physics are broken, and the framerate is so choppy you'd think you were playing a Powerpoint presentation running on an N64... running through a bad emulator on a Windows 95 PC. But the biggest issue is definitely the horrendous screen crunch. The Genesis games had a mild case of this at times, but were more often than not designed well enough around it to be perfectly playable. In this game, though, it's yet another nail in the coffin. I'm not one to abuse emulator savestates, because it trivializes the game and completely defeats the purpose of a platformer to begin with. In this case, however, it was so insufferable to play that I had no choice but to save scum every 10 seconds. Never play this game. Just don't. The List 6. Sonic CD - This is a pretty good game for what it is. However, it's easily the weakest classic 2D Sonic game there is for a few reasons. For one, the game's two soundtracks, while good, are the least memorable of the Sonic games of this era. The graphics can also be nauseating, and while I don't suffer from motion sickness, they made me feel like I was going to vomit my mouth to bits at times. However, the biggest factor that makes this the weakest game in the classic Sonic quadrilogy is the level design. It's simply too complicated for completionists, and too simple and lacking in substance for those satisfied with an Any% playthrough. This is still a good title that I would recommend to fans of classic Sonic or 2D sidescrollers in general, but if you were to skip any classic Sonic game, this would be the one to pass on. 5. Sonic the Hedgehog - The game that started it all, the original Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis, released in 1991. This game has drifted around my personal favorite Sonic games, starting out as my second-favorite, then dropping down to my second-least favorite, and now solidifying itself at the bottom of my personal top five. Sonic 1 is a pretty good game, and was a solid start to the series. The overall level design, the soundtrack, and the graphics are great for a 1991 sidescroller. Still, I have a few complaints. This game has a mild case of screen crunch. Sonic is fixed in the center of the screen at all times, so you may find yourself slamming into hazards you couldn't see in time. It doesn't happen often, but when it does it can be annoying. My biggest complaint, though, is the continue system. It's quite flawed for a platformer. The game has limited continues, in a time when save features and password systems were becoming commonplace. In addition, earning a continue is very obtuse for first timers - you have to collect 50 rings in a special stage. How do you access these? By bringing 50 or more rings to the goalpost of the first or second act of a zone and then jumping into the giant ring that appears. And you only have 10 chances to earn them. The fact that I enjoy this game so much in spite of these flaws, though, speaks volumes to how good it really is. I like this game a lot, even if Super Mario World (released the same year) outclasses it in pretty much every way. 4. Sonic Adventure - This game was a new beginning for the series, and was the hedgehog's jump to the third dimension. Just like the original Sega Genesis game, this one suffers from a slight case of first game syndrome, as the devs were experimenting with new gameplay styles. Overall, these gameplay styles are fun on their own merits (for the most part), but the game, like the original, still has some growing pains and a few rough edges. For one, the camera can be finnicky at times, and the game has a tendency to glitch at certain points. In addition, the Dreamcast version has unskippable cutscenes, which can get annoying because several cutscences are repeated acoss the six playable characters' story arcs. Still, this is a very good game, but it's far from perfect. 3. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Oh yeah, now things are really getting good. Sonic 2 was the game that defined the Sega Genesis for a lot of people, and is widely considered by fans and gamers alike to be one of if not the best Sonic game ever made. I don't agree that this is the absolute best game in the series, but I can wholeheartedly agree that this game deserves the recognition it gets. While it still suffers from limited continues and occasional screen crunch, the amazing level design, soundtrack, graphics, etc. more than make up for this. In addition, the continue system was vastly improved - instead of having to get 50 rings in a special stage, all you have to do is earn a score of 10,000 at the end of any level. You can do this in a number of ways, but I find that the easiest way to do it is to reach the end of the level quickly with at least 90-100 rings. Anyways, this game is excellent and easily one of the best 2D platformers I've played. 2. Sonic 3 & Knuckles - Now this is more like it. This is easily the best 2D Sonic game I've ever played. It takes everything that was great about Sonic 1 and Sonic 2, cuts out all the flaws, and crafts a damn-near-perfect 2D platforming experience that ends up better than the previous games it was inspired by. The graphics are easily the best of the Genesis Sonic games, the soundtrack is godly, and most importantly, the level design is nearly flawless (I say "nearly" because of the existence of Sandopolis Zone). In addition, it cuts out the dated limited continue system of the previous games and incorporates a full-fledged save feature, saving up to the beginning of the zone you're on. Continues still exist, but now allow you to continue from the specific level you're on. This game isn't my favorite side-scroller in general - Super Mario World still holds that distinction - but this game is a close, and I mean close second, and is easily my favorite Sega Genesis game. So what in the world would be able to top that? Well... 1. Sonic Adventure 2 - Here it is. The absolute magnum opus of the Sonic series. I know that's a controversial thing to say nowadays, but hear me out. When I first played this game, it blew me away and shattered my high expectations. I wasn't sure if it was my favorite initially, but after giving it a few repeat playthroughs, I can easily say it earns a victory over Sonic 3&K by just a little bit. I'll admit Sonic 3&K might be the objectively better game, but I enjoy SA2 so much that I can't help but like it more. If I could describe this game in one word, it would be "streamlined." Similarly to Spyro: Year of the Dragon (and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, as I mentioned in this list), it takes the best parts of the previous games, cuts out all the fat, and creates an experience overall better than the game(s) that came before it. In this case, Sonic Adventure 2 takes the best gameplay styles from the first Sonic Adventure - the speed stages, shooting stages, and treasure hunting stages - and improves them. The multiple playable characters are all fun to play as in my opinion, featuring great level design overall. The treasure hunting levels are my least favorite of the three main styles, but I still enjoy them quite a bit as they're basically collectathon levels (and I love collectathon games). The controls, enemy placement, and camera of the mech shooting stages are nowhere near as bad as everyone says they are, and the speed stages (alongside the ones from SA1) are the only time the Sonic series nailed a perfect balance between speed and platforming. I have a few minor complaints, like the fact the treasure hunting radar was nerfed from the first game, the fact that the mechs' lock-on wears off if you take too long before releasing your shots, and the annoying nature of a couple levels and bosses, but these don't come anywhere close to getting in the way of my enjoyment of this game. I would easily recommend this game to anyone who hasn't played it yet, especially those who have avoided it because of what people like ProJared or the Game Grumps have said about it. If you haven't yet because of this or whatever reason, I implore you to play it for yourself. If not, you're missing out on an unforgettable experience. Conclusion Welp, this was a bit shorter than the one I did on Mario. That's mostly because I haven't played as many Sonic games. From what I've played, though, I can easily say that this is one of my favorite game series. This is despite having gotten into it relatively recently, whereas I've been playing Mario games for pretty much my whole life. While I still do like Mario overall more, Sonic comes very close and is easily my second-favorite series of platforming games. I'm not sure if I'll do another one of these, but if I do, it will probably be on the Spyro or Donkey Kong games. Whatever comes next, I'll see you then. Category:Blog posts